In the field of gymnastic machines for cardiovascular training there are well-known gymnastic machines provided with a load group comprising a regulating unit of an electromagnetic nature. Among these machines stationary bikes, treadmills, steppers and so-called cross trainers, i.e. machines provided with footrests movable along elliptic trajectories, are well-known. In the case of the treadmills, the performed exercise directly involves also the use of the arms, which generally perform an oscillating movement in a substantially vertical plane, wherein the forearms swing forward and backward accompanying the movement of the lower limbs. In the other cases, movement of the arms may or may not be provided for but, in any case, for instance in stationary bikes and cross trainers, this movement can take place against the resistance of a load group, for example through the installation of a pair of levers pivoted to the frame, each of which is provided with a handgrip, is connected to the load group by means of a plurality of cylindrical turning pairs, and is movable along a plane that is vertical and thus parallel to the plane on which the pedals move. A solution of this kind is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,744 by the American firm Precor, but can be verified by observing the machine called “Cross Trainer” of the American firm Ultratrek.
Naturally, the use of the arms in association with the use of the lower limbs allows training to be made collectively more efficient from the muscular point of view and allows better distribution of muscle strain between the upper part and the lower part of the body, thus allowing a noteworthy increase in the percentage of exercises completed according to the provided exercise tables even in conditions of fatigue of one of the two articular regions, given that the part suffering the most from fatigue can be helped by the part with more muscular power.
The movement that can be provided on the simulators is a curvilinear movement in space, whose radius of curvature changes when there is a variation of each angular position of the lever carrying the respective footrest; therefore, cardiovascular training of the so-called “total body” type cannot be achieved by modifying the skating simulators similarly to what is known for stationary bikes, steppers and cross trainers, due to the fact that the types of trajectories are completely different.
In view of the above description, the problem of allowing, in a simple manner and with limited costs, performance of a movement of the upper limbs against the resistance of a single load group in skating simulators is currently unsolved and represents an interesting challenge for the applicant, in order to facilitate performance of the exercises and to make these more complete from the point of view of muscular development. In view of the above description, it would be desirable to have available a gymnastic machine for simulating the skating movement which, in addition to enabling to limit and possibly to overcome the typical drawbacks of the art illustrated above in a simple and cost-effective manner, could define a new standard for training with combined movements of the parts.